Computer network applications, such as Web browsers, depend on reliable and fast information transfer. When a network fault occurs, such as when a transmission link fails, the network may experience congestion and corresponding performance problems. These performance problems may be noticed by end-users and by automated computer monitoring applications that are installed on the network and that are designed to detect such performance problems. An end-user who notices a performance problem may call an information technology (IT) network technical support line to report the problems, or the end-user may submit a trouble ticket or other type of error report. Upon receiving a call from an end-user, or an error report, a network operator is faced with the often difficult task of pinpointing the actual cause of the performance degradation. The network operator's task is made difficult by the fact that the reported performance problem may actually be caused by errors in the end-user's computer or the on a network server, and by the fact that the reported problem may be transient. Thus, the actual cause of the performance degradation may be very difficult or impossible to determine.